


Drama Queens

by daddyhader



Category: Queen (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Drama class AU, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Funny, Hamilton - Freeform, M/M, Mother Hen Brian May, Musical, brief Deaky/Veronica, brief Roger/Debbie, i only used it as a plot device, soft, why not, you dont need to know the musical to read this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-27
Updated: 2019-08-04
Packaged: 2020-03-29 11:31:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19019038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daddyhader/pseuds/daddyhader
Summary: In which Roger loses a bet and has to join their high school drama club, John is a theater nerd, Brian is forced to join the club for his own good, and Freddie just enjoys all the drama.





	1. Alexander Hamilton

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome! This idea popped into my head a while back, but since I was busy writing my previous fanfic (it's called Father to Son, go give it a shot if you haven't), I had no time to start this one. 
> 
> Oh, just to clarify, the story is set in modern day, and in London, I've just used the American high school system because it was less confusing to write. I hope it doesn't bother you, since it doesn't really help with the story.
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoy this one too!!

The first day of school always had sort of a special meaning to John. For him, it was an opportunity. On that day, he was given the chance to shape the upcoming school year however he pleased. Now, another first day had come, that of his Sophomore year, and he intended to do exactly that. Make this year a good one.

Last year had been amazing for him. It was no secret that freshmen usually suffered through their first year of high school, but he did just fine. He managed to get high grades in almost all his classes, he made new friends that he absolutely loved, and he discovered his passion for many things, drama classes being one of them.

He had always been a bit of a theater enthusiast, or a nerd, if you asked his sister, always dragging her with him to the newest play their local drama club was putting up, and saving up to actually visit Broadway one day, but he had never considered joining a drama club before. Until a student he didn't know, a Junior with long dark hair and a very strange but rather nice sense of style, saw him looking at the auditions announcement in the beginning of last year. "Darling", he had said, "you must sign up for the auditions. I think I have just the role for you."

Within a few minutes, Freddie had convinced John to apply for the auditions for Much Ado About Nothing, that would be held at the end of the week, during which he performed absolutely spectacularly, much to Freddie's excitement. The role of Benedick was given to him without any delay, and rehearsals began almost immediately. John had to admit that balancing school, rehearsals and bass practice was strenuous, but he enjoyed every second of it. Plus, Freddie and him had become very good friends, so it was all worth it.

The first thing John did as soon as he entered the school building on the first day of his Sophomore year, was to check for the rehearsal flyer. Anyone that walked past the announcement board at that moment would have seen the disappointment in John's eyes when he saw there was no flyer. _Maybe Freddie is too busy this year. He's a Senior after all,_ thought John and headed to his first class of the year, visibly deflated.

What he didn't know was that, at the same time, Freddie was in the library with Brian, pacing up and down in despair, trying to find an idea for this year's play.

 

"Oh dear, this has never happened to me before! I've been in charge of the plays for three years, and I always have something prepared. Brian, I need to find something, and soon! You and blondie have got to help me", pleads Freddie and walks up to where Brian is sitting.

Brian sighs and looks up from his book, feeling a great deal of sympathy for his friend. "Sorry Fred, I can't. This is our final year, I've got to get an early start." Seeing Freddie's face drop he immediately felt bad for not being able to help him, so he added, "Plus, you know I'm pretty useless when it comes to theater. But Roger will surely want to help. Even if he doesn't, I'll convince him."

Freddie's expression softens at that and he smiles at Brian. "Thank you dear. I'd be lost without you."

With a smile, Brian hides his face behind his book and concentrated, while Freddie began scribbling on a piece of paper, murmuring quietly to himself.

 

"I've got it!", yells Freddie out of the blue and bangs the palm of his hand on the desk, startling poor Brian who turns to face him, thankful they were alone in the library, but also curious about Freddie's revelation. "Alright then, tell me."

"Hamilton"

"Hamilton?"

"Hamilton! How did I not think of this before? It's perfect, darling!"

"Slow down Fred, breathe", says Brian upon seeing Freddie hyperventilating, admittedly intrigued by his friend's idea. "Do tell me more, though."

With eyes full of spark, Freddie turns to look at Brian. "Oh I have so many ideas right now, I feel like my head is going to explode!"

 

"Did you finally find an idea for your play?", says Roger as he appears behind Brian, holding a bunch of Biology books in his arms.

Freddie runs to Roger and hugs him, almost tackling him. "I did! Oh, you're going to love it!"

"Tell me then"

Freddie took a deep breath to calm down and repeated, "Hamilton."

Roger's eyes shot up at Freddie, who was looking at his friend with anticipation. "A musical? Are you sure?" he asks, a faint hint of excitement in his voice.

Freddie rolls his eyes. "Of course I am. It's going to be perfect! And, don't think you two will get away this time. I already have some roles for you in mind. I'm thinking Roger should be H-"

 

"I'm not doing it", interrupts Roger and sits down next to Brian, who looks up from his book just in time to see Freddie's face drop once more. Roger sees it too, but continues anyways. "Yeah mate, sorry, I don't really do musicals."

"But you've got a great voice!", protests Freddie. "Brian, tell him how nice it'll be, the two of you singing and dancing. Oh we will have so much fun!"

Brian's lips form a thin line as he hums. "Sorry Fred, I can't do it either. I already have so much to do this year."

Freddie pulls a chair and sits down in defeat. "Fine. It's your loss, really."

 

Roger opens his biology books to study, but before he can focus he sees with the corner of his eye someone getting into the library. "Shit", he mutters when he realises who it is. Brian lifts his head momentarily to see what caught Roger's attention, and also mutters a quiet "Shit", as his heart sank in his chest when he saw that Chrissie had walked into the library, along with her friend Dominique.

The two girls sat on a desk near theirs, and began chatting about classes and their summer vacation, all the while Brian stared at them slightly open-mouthed. Freddie had barely noticed the two girls coming in, but since he knows about Brian's raging crush on Chrissie, he decides to use this knowledge to his advantage. If the library was a bit more quiet, the others would be able to hear the cogs turning inside his head, as he came up with an incredible idea.

 

"Darling", he says to Brian, "have you noticed how wonderful Chrissie looks today?"

"Mhm", is all Brian manages to say, as he is still staring at the two girls, his cheeks getting more and more red every time Chrissie shoots him a glance.

With a smirk, Freddie continues. "Oh Bri, I heard that Chrissie is single these days. Don't you think that's a good thing?"

At that, Brian shot up. "She is?" he questions, and beams at Freddie when he nods. "Do you, um, do you think I should maybe ask her out?"

Roger's ear caught that last part, and he turned to face Brian. "Mate, are you insane? If she says no, you'll be devastated."

"Well, you can always try, darling. You'll never know if she'll say yes until you ask her", said Freddie with a smirk.

"I don't think this will end up good", murmurs Roger as he watches Brian's face change about a million different expressions, from hopeful to melancholic to sad in a matter of seconds.

Freddie knows this is his chance to get his plan moving. He had valid information that Chrissie actually likes Brian, and that was why he mentioned that she was single. He may be cunning, but he isn't heartless. Roger being his usual pessimistic self about it is also part of his plan. Now the only thing that is missing is the motive.

 

"Wanna bet, darling?", he simply says and watches as Roger processes the proposition. A good bet always made Roger's ears prick up, and Freddie would make this one too good to let go.

"What's in it for me?", asks Roger as he sat straight on his chair.

Freddie smiles and leans forward. "Whatever you want. Anything, darling, I'll do whatever you say. No exceptions."

Roger's eyes open wide with surprise. "Anything?"

"Yes, darling. Now, all I want from you, if you lose, is for you to simply come to the auditions for the musical."

 

Roger considered this for a moment. Was there a chance Brian would actually get a date with Chrissie, the girl he's fancied since Sophomore year? Maybe. But, if he won, he would have Freddie Mercury do whatever he pleased. Now that was something he could not say no to. So, he smirks at Freddie, and extends his hand for a handshake. "Deal. No take backs."

Freddie smiles and gives Roger his hand. "Of course, darling." He then turns to Brian. "Well? What are you waiting for, dear?"

Brian turns to look at Freddie, terrified by the idea of approaching Chrissie and asking her out. "What, now?"

"Well of course now, dear. You both have a free first period, this is clearly fate pulling you two together", says Freddie as he circled the table and patted Brian's back, slightly pushing him to get up.

Roger, who only wants for this to be over as quickly as possible, so that he could find what he wanted Freddie to do for him, nods eagerly. "Freddie's right. You should do it now."

 

Brian looks pale, but determined at the same time. He takes a few deep breaths, gets up and approaches Chrissie's table. Both Freddie and Roger are holding their breath as their friend talks to Chrissie, not being able to hear what they are saying. About a minute later, Brian signals for them to go outside, which they do, as he follows them shortly. As soon as the library door closes behind them, Brian grins and shouts "I've got a date!"

Freddie felt light as a feather at that moment. "Congratulations darling! When is it?"

"Tomorrow, at seven", replies Brian as he breathes heavily. "We're going to watch a movie and then have dinner. I think I'm going to faint."

"Nonsense darling, you're fine", says Freddie as he leads Brian to a bench near them to sit. As Brian settled, Freddie turned to look at Roger, who was uncharacteristically quiet, and told him with a boastful smirk. "Auditions are this Friday at 5. Don't be late, Blondie, or there will be consequences."

Roger rolls his eyes and sits next to Brian. "Fine, whatever, I'll come to your stupid audition. Are you happy now?"

Freddie beams at him. "Very. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go print the flyers. Bye bye darlings."

"Bye Fred."

 

By the next morning, the school was flooded with flyers and every student knew about the musical that Freddie was making. Much to Freddie's surprise, quite a few people signed up for them. As he was walking past the big announcement board on the first floor, he notices John looking at the flyer, a smile on his face.

"I knew you'd be interested darling", he says and puts his arms around John. "You will sign up, won't you dear?"

"I don't know Freddie", says John and turns to look at him. "I don't have a good voice and you know it."

"Nonsense Deaky, your voice is fine. But, if it makes you feel any better, you won't be singing much. The role I have in mind for you mostly raps throughout the whole play, plus you don't appear until the second act." Seeing as John was still a bit reluctant, he continues. "Just think about it darling. Last year's play was a big success, and you had a great time, didn't you?"

John reluctantly nods. "That's true, I did. And I suppose, rapping is better than singing."

"That's my boy!", exclaimes Freddie, and signs John's name on the paper. "Auditions are on Friday, at 5. Don't be late!"

"I won't", laughs John and thanks Freddie.  _Here we go again,_ thinks John as he heads to his lesson.


	2. Cabinet Battle #1

Freddie taps the heel of his boot on the polished wooden floor of the auditorium, his glance alternating between his watch and the door every few seconds, impatience clear in his stance.  _All I asked from the blonde devil was for him to be on time. Was it too much to ask?,_ he thinks as he watches the small crowd sitting and chatting in front of him grow rather impatient. He notices some familiar faces amongst them, like Phoebe, Veronica, Jim and Dominique, but most of them were new and kinda jittery.

Skimming the room with his eyes his focus lands on Brian, who is sitting in the front row reading a heavy-looking book, paying zero attention to what was happening. The fact that Freddie had found a loophole so that Brian had to join the drama class made him secretly beam with pride. He was impressed with his own skill for manipulation sometimes, but knew not to use it for bad causes. And this one was almost the opposite of a bad one.

 

"Um, excuse me, Freddie?", a tall blonde girl calls for him, shyly raising her hand to get his attention. "Uh, it's nearly five thirty. When are we going to start?"

Freddie sighs and straightens his back, giving the girl -is it Debbie? he isn't sure- a warm smile in hopes of appearing less annoyed than he actually felt. "Just a few more minutes, darling. We're simply waiting for everyone to get here", he patiently explains.  _If they get here at all._

 

Freddie isn't just annoyed with Roger's absence, he is also worried because John is also nowhere to be seen. He could have sworn he had convinced him to come join the play once more. Had he been wrong?

 

 

 

 

Roger is out of breath. For the past twenty minutes he has been running, hoping to get to the auditorium before Freddie combusted from his anger. This day had been a very bad one, and it was getting progressively worse. First, he missed first period because he overslept. Then, an impromptu algebra test happened, which he was fairly sure he didn't exactly nail, plus, halfway through the day he realised he had forgotten his phone at home. When he finally got home, he began studying, but he got carried away and completely forgot about the rehearsals. So here he is, running towards his school, his mind working overtime to come up with a good excuse to give Freddie as to why he was late when he specifically told him not to be.

Eventually, he makes it inside the school and stops outside of the auditorium to catch his breath, when someone crashes into him and he nearly falls forward. In all his hurry, he hadn't noticed another person, a tall, skinny guy with short curly hair and eyes that were somehow green and grey at the same time, running behind him. "Hey! Watch it, mushroom."

John puts his hands on his knees and leans forward to catch his breath, rolling his eyes at the nickname. "Can you not? I've been running for the past half hour. I missed the bus. Freddie must be pissed."

Roger sighs and opens the door with determination. "Well you're probably right about that."

His determination vanishes as soon as he sees Freddie's death stare. He lowers his head, completely forgetting about all the excuses he thought of on his way there. "Uh, Fred, before you say anything, I was-"

"John!", exclaims Freddie when he sees who is standing behind Roger. "Oh, I knew you'd come darling! As for you", he turns his attention to Roger and smirks at his apologetic look, "you're forgiven. Come along then, there's some chairs in the back, get comfortable."

Both men nod and head for the pile of chairs at the back of the room. They are both silent, until Roger realised who John is. "So you're the guy Freddie wouldn't shut up about last year, huh?", he asks John quietly.

John, who was doing the same thing, stopped when he heard Roger, his cheeks going pink. "He talked about me?"

"All the time", confirms Roger and moves his arms around, imitating Freddie. " _Darling, John is marvellous. Oh, you should see him act. Oh, he's perfect for the role. Oh, his eyes are so expressive."_ He turns to look at John and laughs, seeing as he was redder than a tomato.  _"_ I would have killed you at the end of last year's play if you weren't as good as Freddie told us."

Amused, John gave up trying to pay attention to what Freddie was rambling about, and looked at Roger. "But you didn't."

Roger shrugged. "That's because you were as good as Freddie said you would be. Even better actually. I was impressed, well done."

John shifts his gaze to the front of the class, in a hopeless attempt to hide his blushing cheeks. "Thanks, it was actually my very first play, so it means a lot."

Roger's mouth drops. "Your first play? Wow." He stops for a moment to listen to Freddie talking about a guy named Aaron Burr, but decides that talking to John was much more interesting. "My name's Roger, by the way. Roger-"

"Taylor", supplies John and chuckles at Roger's surprised face. "Yeah, Freddie wouldn't shut up about you as well. And about Brian, of course."

"Doesn't surprise me. Nice to meet you then, John."

 

A loud cough from Freddie catches their attention, and they both blush when they see their friend staring at them intently with his hands on his hips, clearly having noticed their lack of interest. Roger flashes him a smile and John lowers his head, turning to Roger to whisper, "I think we should pay attention to what Freddie's saying."

Roger crosses his arms and sits back. "If you want to, by all means. But, since I probably won't be coming here again, I will not."

John frowns and turns to look at Roger. "Why is that?"

"I didn't even want to come today in the first place. I lost a bet to Freddie, that's why I'm here."

John raises a curious eyebrow. "What was the bet about?"

Roger begins shifting in his chair, seemingly uncofmortable with the question, so John quickly adds "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"No, it's okay", says Roger and shifts to look at John. "It's stupid, really, I should've seen it coming. Brian's fancied a girl since Sophomore year, and he finally got the chance to ask her out. Freddie said she'd say yes, while I said she'd say no. Freddie then suggested we bet on it. If he lost, he would do whatever I asked him, and if I lost, I'd have to come to the rehearsals. As you've probably guessed, I lost, so here I am."

John looks at Roger and chuckles  quietly.  _Never make a bet with Freddie, copy that,_ he thinks. "Sounds awful. Answer me this though", he continues, sensing that Roger didn't want to talk futher about it, "you're here because of the bet. Why is Brian here? He doesn't seem like a guy that participates in plays, unless they're about Einstein or something."

Roger chuckles. "He lost a different bet to Freddie. I don't even know why he agreed to it, he was destined to lose that one." John continues to look curious, so he explains. "Remember that date Brian was supposed to go to? Well, Brian didn't want to come to the rehearsals either, so Freddie and him bet that, if the date went well, he would have to come to the rehearsals. If not, Freddie would have to buy Brian a new guitar. Obviously Brian wouldn't jeopardise his date in order to avoid this, so the date went well, and now he has to join the play. Come to think of it, maybe we should stop making bets with Freddie."

John giggles and nods. "Yeah, maybe you should." His face took a serious expression, and he continued. "But I think you shouldn't quit the team."

"And why is that?", asks Roger, genuinely curious.

"Well, for starters, you have an amazing voice. You're a great drummer, too, but I've heard you sing and sometimes I think you're even better than Freddie."

Roger mentally thanked the dim lighting of the room for hiding the blush that decorated his cheeks. "Thank you", he whispers, and chuckles. "Don't ever let Freddie hear you say that."

 

At that moment, Freddie stopped talking and started giving out scripts to the students. When he got to Roger and John, he playfully punched Roger on the shoulder. "Don't distract John, Taylor. Just because you don't care about theater doesn't mean he doesn't either."

Roger rubs his shoulder and huffs. "Don't worry Fred, I'm not corrupting your precious John."

 

"Wait", says John, realising what Freddie had given them, "you want us to audition now?"

"Well of course, darling! How else am I supposed to find the perfect team for the play?"

Panic rose in John's chest and his breathing became laboured. Somehow, he was completely fine with acting in front of hundreds of people, but small crowds made him a bubbling ball of anxiety. "Freddie", he tries to reason with him, "I don't do well with small crowds and you know it."

"Isn't it large crowds that usually make people anxious?", asks Roger.

"Not for me."

"You have nothing to worry about, darling", reassured him Freddie. "You already know the majority of the kids here, and besides it's nothing you haven't done before."

Before John could answer, Freddie had gone to the other side of the room and was talking to the rest of the kids. Roger puts his hand on John's shoulder, in an attempt to help him calm down. "Hey. I'm sure you'll do just fine."

John turns to look at him and smiles. "Thanks. You too."

 

Noise filled the room as the other students got up and started reading their parts out loud. John took a look at the script and saw it wasn't from Hamilton, but from In The Heights, one of his favourite musicals. Smiling, he hummed the melody of one of the songs and got up to join the rest of the group. Roger did the same, and soon they were both watching the other students' performances, struggling not to laugh with most of the new kids.

When John's turn came, he felt surprisingly calm. He was good, he knew that. He may not be the best singer, but his acting skills were exceptional. He took his place in the middle of the room and began speaking and sometimes singing, as well as his voice could allow him. When he finished, he looked around the room. The new kids were staring, the old ones were smiling knowingly, and Roger was looking at him with his mouth open. Pride filled John's chest and he went  back to his place to let the other kids perform.

On his right, Roger was still staring at him, mouth agape. Amused, he nudges him with his elbow. "Roger are you okay?"

Roger blinks, still not moving. "That was amazing"

Blushing again, John shrugged. "Thank you."

 

"Roger, darling!", called Freddie, "your turn."

At that, Roger finally moved and headed towards the middle to perform his bit. He did it with ease, not feeling anxious or nervous. He even sang a bit of the song, making the younger students swoon at his raspy voice. With a smile, he bowed to his audience and went back next to John, who was smirking. "You didn't tell me you liked musicals."

"Well, what can I say", he says with a smug smile, "I'm full of surprises."

Roger had been the last of them to do an audition, and everyone began putting the chairs back to their place. John and Roger did the same thing, with no particular hurry to leave. "So", says John as he puts his chair on the pile, "are you going to join?"

"Honestly, I don't know. I've never really done something like this before. I know I have a good voice, but my place is behind a drum kit, not on a stage filled with props and uncomfortable costumes." He paused and leaned on the back of a chair, looking at Freddie on the other side of the room chatting with a couple of eager students. "Maybe if Freddie gives me a good role, I'll consider it."

John chuckled and picked up his bag. "Alright. I've got to go home. It was nice talking to you Roger."

"You too, mushroom."

"You're not going to forget this one soon, are you?"

Roger laughed and shook his head as waved John goodbye and approached Brian. The taller man didn't seem too happy about being forced to join the team, but there was nothing he could do about it. "Hey", he half-heartedly greets his friend, "do you think you'll join this thing then?"

Roger looks at Brian and then glances towards the door through which John had just left. He had to admit that, after today, joining the drama team did not seem like a horrible idea.

"Yeah", he says with a smirk. "I think I will."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and that was chapter 2! I hope you liked it and, as always, kudos and comments are appreciated <3


	3. Cabinet Battle #2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before this chapter begins, i think this might be a good time to introduce some of the musical's characters to those who haven't listened to it, that will be seen in this fic.
> 
> Alexander Hamilton: One of the founding fathers of the USA. An immigrant who was really passionate about the revolution and fighting for what's right. He was Secretary of Treasury for some time, then a lawyer, then he retired because his son died and then instead of supporting his frenemy Aaron Burr he supported his other frenemy Thomas Jefferson, which led to him being shot by Burr. Smart guy but really dumb at the same time. A little bitch overall.
> 
> Aaron Burr: He and Hamilton were kind of friends, but Burr was always jealous of Hamilton and then when H. voted for Jefferson he shot him in a duel. Overall a spineless character with almost no morals.
> 
> George Washington: Literally the only adult in the whole play, constantly babysits the boys and basically adopts Hamilton as his son. He's the 1st president of the United States and is a mentor to almost everyone.
> 
> Thomas Jefferson: Also a little bitch, he was the American ambassador to France during the revolutionary war and came back when it was done, only to piss off Hamilton and create his own political party, which won the elections over Burr's party, making Jefferson the 2nd president of the United States. Personally, one of my favourite characters.
> 
> James Maddison: Thomas's bestie and fellow republican, he doesn't have much personality but is a good guy who just wants to do what's right for his country.
> 
> Eliza Schuyler: Literally the purest character ever. She's Alexander's wife, she comes from a wealthy family and also wants for her country to be free. She supports Hamilton but also tries a lot to reason with him - mostly without success.
> 
> Angelica Schuyler: Eliza's older sister, she falls in love with Hamilton the moment she sees him, tells no one ever and lets her sister marry him instead. Powerful character, but pretty indecisive.
> 
> Peggy Schuyler: Eliza and Angelica's younger sister, literally only says "and Peggy" in the entire play, but I like her so..

Brian began regretting his decision to join Freddie and Roger in the cafeteria for lunch instead of going to the library to study a mere five minutes after they sat down, for Roger was desperately trying to annoy Freddie into telling him what role the older boy had chosen for him. Freddie was having none of Roger's quips though, and so their conversation went on like this for a while:

 

"Tell me." "No."

"Tell me." "No."

"Tell me." "No."

"Freddie." "Yes?"

"Tell me!" "No!"

"But why?", whines Roger as he flips the pages of his notebook. "I can't wait till Friday, this is torture!"

Rolling his eyes, Freddie points his finger at Roger. "May I remind you dear that two weeks ago you didn't even want to hear about joining the team? I think you can wait just fine."

Roger crossed his arms and grunted. "Fine. Brian, do you know what role Freddie has for us?"

Not lifting his head from the book he was reading, Brian shakes his head. "Nope. And frankly, I don't really care."

"Ugh, fine." _Hold on_ , he thinks, a smirk creeping up on his lips, _there might be someone who knows._ As quickly as he could, Roger shoves his books in his bag and got up, ignoring Freddie's questions about where he was going. Realising he didn't know where he was supposed to go, he stood in the middle of the cafeteria, until he spotted John eating his lunch on a table near the door. Smiling, he made his way there and abruptly sat next to John, slightly startling him. "I have a question", he said with a serious look on his face.

John moved to his left to give Roger more space on the bench as Roger stole a few of his chips. "Uh, sure. Tell me."

"Freddie won't tell me what role he wants to give me for the play, and I was wondering whether you knew. You know, because he tells you everything."

John rolls his eyes playfully and puts down his fork. "First of all, Freddie doesn't tell me everything. And second of all, I'm sorry to disappoint you but I don't know anything about the roles. Actually, I don't even know who I'm supposed to be playing and honestly, I don't really care."

Roger's shoulders drop. "Bummer. I was hoping you'd know."

"Why are you suddenly so impatient? The rehearsal is in three days, can't you wait until then?"

Roger shrugs. "I'm just curious is all. And yeah, a bit impatient too."

"You don't say."

"So", says Roger, ignoring John's sarcastic comment, "what role do you think you'll get?"

John shrugs. "I don't know. All I know is that I appear only in the second act, and I rap a lot."

"Huh", says Roger, "that actually narrows it down a bit. You could be James Maddison."

"No way, he's twice my size."

Roger giggled. "Okay, you're right. How about Phillip?"

"That could be it. Or I could be Maria, and Freddie makes me wear a dress and a wig."

Roger burst out laughing, which made John laugh as well, both wiping tears from their eyes even a whole five minutes later. "Who do you think you'll be?", asked John when they eventually stopped giggling.

"I'm thinking John Laurence. I think I'm perfect for the role."

"I disagree. I think you'll be an excellent King George."

"Oh will I?", mocked Roger and threw some chips on John, who deflected them and threw some on him as well, both laughing loudly as they did.

 

Back in Roger's table, Freddie is watching the two younger men with a newfound interest. He nudges Brian with his elbow to get his attention. "Brian look at this", he says and points to John's table where his friends were chatting non stop. "Brian!", he repeats when he got no response, to which Brian replied with a grunt. "Look!"

"Freddie I swear if you interrupt me one more- oh", he exclaimed when he noticed the two younger men sitting really close and giggling. "Huh, looks like they're having a lot of fun."

Freddie pressed his lips and nodded. "Exactly, darling. How long before they get together?"

Brian thought for a moment, and then answered "Six months."

"That is very optimistic of you darling. I give them 8 months."

Brian shrugged. "We'll see."

 

 

 

 

 

Much to Roger's relief, Friday came quickly and this time, he was careful not to be late. When he arrived at the auditorium, he immediately spotted John, sitting in the same place he did last week. Roger grabs a chair and placed it next to John's, grinning at him as he sat down. "Ready to learn who you're going to be?"

"Of course", replied John as he saw Freddie entered the auditorium, a bunch of papers in his arms. "Hello, darlings. Are you excited to get your roles and get this magnificent play going?" Several kids chanted 'yes', and Freddie smiled at them while grabbing a piece of paper. "Alright darlings, let's start with the smaller characters. Veronica, you're Peggy, our dear Dominique is Angelica and Debbie is Eliza."

The three girls, who were sitting next to each other, high fived each other and continued chatting after thanking Freddie for their roles. Within two minutes, Roger had lost interest in the roles, and was focusing on annoying John, who was bouncing with anticipation, eagerly waiting to get his role. Roger noticed that and chuckled, digging his pointer finger into John's bicep to get his attention. "I thought you weren't anxious about your role."

"I'm not", tried John, but his stance said otherwise. Roger raised an eyebrow, making John sigh. "Okay fine. I'm not exactly anxious. I guess I'm a bit insecure because everyone here has an amazing voice and I don't", he admitted.

Roger scoffs and turns his body to face John, who is pointedly avoiding his gaze. "That's rubbish John, your voice is good. Plus, Freddie said you will be mostly rapping, right? That's even better than singing."

John thinks about it for a moment, and then nods. "I guess you're right."

"Of course I am", says Roger with a smug smirk, which earns him a light punch from John.

 

"And now, the big ones!", exclaimed Freddie, making John and Roger turn and focus on him. "We're almost there darlings, only a couple roles left. Jim dear, you'll be James Maddison."

 

"Great. Thanks.", said a buff guy in the front row that neither John nor Roger had noticed until today, no hint of emotion in his voice or his face.  _Perfect choice for Maddison,_ thinks Roger.

 

"Paul, you're Aaron Burr."

 

"Thank you so much Freddie. You won't regret it.", said Paul while looking at Freddie with heart-eyes.  _Oh no you won't,_ thought John and decided to keep an eye open for Paul from now on.

 

Freddie paid him no attention and continued. "Right, now onto the good stuff. Our dear Brian gets the role of George Washington."

"Wait a minute", says John quietly, so that only Roger could hear him, as realisation dawned on him, "that means-"

 

"And finally, the role of Thomas Jefferson goes to John, while the star of this play, Hamilton, will be played by our dear Roger!", exclaimed Freddie and clapped, the rest of the students following suit. John and Roger were stunned, mouths hanging wide open as they got congratulatory pats on the back from their classmates.

 

"Now", said Freddie after everyone had calmed down, "everybody grab a script and let's say a few lines, to get to know our characters!"

As everyone got up to get a script from the pile on Freddie's desk, Roger approached John, smiling widely. "Turns out we were both wrong with our guesses."

John returned the smile and shuffled his script. "Yeah, I never thought I'd get Jefferson to be honest. But congratulations for getting Hamilton. You must be excited."

"Actually, I am", admits Roger. "So that means we're basically enemies in the play, right?"

"I wouldn't say we're enemies", argues John. "More like, opponents. Frenemies."

"Frenemies sounds nice", admitted Roger and smiled at John, as they both took their places in the middle of the room to get the rehearsal going. And if Roger kept staring at John even after he had turned his back at him, that was nobody's business.

 

 

 

 

"Do you think Freddie will be pissed if I quit?"

 

"Having trouble with that fast part again?"

Roger sighed and fell heavy on the chair next to Brian, his script in his hands. "Yeah. I just can't get it right, you know? I can't possibly rap that fast."

"I'm pretty sure you can, Rog", reassures him Brian as he munches  on his lunch. "You just need some practise."

"But I've been practising that part for a week and a half", whines Roger and angrily opens his script on the page with the part that gave him trouble, deciding to give it one more try. "-these New York streets..no. -these New City Streets...damn it. -these New York City Sheets...ARGH"

"Okay, okay slow down Rog. How about you ask someone for help? I'd be glad to help you but I don't really rap in the play so I wouldn't be of much help."

Roger shakes his head. "No, it's okay. I'll just try harder. Or I'll just tell Freddie to fuck off and I'll quit", he saysband gets up, putting his stuff in his bag. "Wait, where are you going?", asks Brian.

"Oh, me and John have a free period so we're meeting up in the library to study," says Roger and waves Brian goodbye as he half-runs to the other side of the building, leaving Brian alone.

 

Once Roger got to the library, he spotted John sitting alone in a far left corner table, a bunch of books and papers spread in front of him, so he approached him and sat next to him loudly. Once again the library was vacant, so they didn't bother with being quiet. "I've got a problem", blurts Roger before even realising it.

"Oh? What is it?", asked John without lifting his gaze from his notes.

"I, uh, I'm having trouble with a part of my script. I don't think I can rap fast enough."

John raised his head to look at Roger and smirked. "Really? Which part?"

Roger took the script from his bag and showed John the part that had been giving him a headache for the past week, only to see John shrug. "That's easy."

"You're kidding me right?"

"No!", giggles John, taking the script from Roger's hands. "It's pretty simple. All you have to do is some mouth exercises before you rap."

Roger raises an eyebrow at that. "Like what?"

 

And so they went back and forth, practising their words for almost an hour, with Roger ready to bang his head against the table with how frustrated he was. "I think I've got it", he says and looks at John who gave him an encouraging thumbs up. Roger inhaled deeply and began rapping from the beginning of the verse.

'I'm a diamond in the rough, a shining piece of coal, tryin' to reach my goal, my power of speech: unimpeachable. Only nineteen but my mind is older,  _these New York City streets get colder, I shoulder-"_

 

He stopped, his eyes going wide. He had done it right! A loud screech escapes his mouth and he rushes over to John, who was also screaming, falling on top of him hugging him tightly. "I did it!"

"You did it!"

"I can't believe it!"

"I'm so proud of you Roger!", says John and pulls away, his cheeks painted with a deep red shade, matching the one on Roger's cheeks. Roger's hands linger on John's biceps for a moment longer, pulling away shortly after to pick up his script again to focus on another part. "Thank you."

"I didn't do anything, Rog."

"Of course you did," insists Roger. "Couldn't have gotten it right without your help."

"Well in that case, you're welcome", says John with a smug smile.

Roger smiles at John and glances at his watch. "Fuck, I gotta go. I've got Chemistry and I can't skip another lesson. But again, thanks for the help."

"No problem, Rog", says John and waves him goodbye as he sat on his chair, finding it somehow impossible to focus on his homework. Instead, his brain chose to focus on Roger's smile when he finally got the verse right, making him smile at the thought. Realising he wouldn't be able to concentrate on his homework, he gave up and gathered his stuff, heading for the cafeteria to get some much needed air. This would certainly be an interesting year.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> really sorry for the delay, I hope you enjoyed it!! kudos and comments are appreciated as always
> 
> *Maria is Hamilton's mistress in the second act
> 
> *Phillip is Hamilton's son, he gets shot in a duel


End file.
